Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Discussion Questions

If you haven't taken the time to answer this week's discussion questions, click here. We will be completing our first podcast (Yes Podcast) on Monday. So you have until then to get your answers in. We asked our friends over at The Twilight Source for their input and here is what they had to say:1) Often in literature, a character must face the decision to place personal needs over what’s best for those they care about. We see this both with Edward and Bella, and both place their needs and the needs of each other above the needs, and often safety, of their loved ones. Does this make them inherently selfish people? If so, is this their fatal flaw? If not, are we to understand that love is to come before all other things-- even family and the laws of nature itself?

This is an important question, as I think the subject of love— in all its various forms— is the centerpiece of Twilight’s plot. But I don’t think that Bella and Edward always put their own and each other’s needs/wants before everyone else’s. I think they both take great pains to achieve balance, actually. For instance, despite loving Edward more than Jacob, Bella still stood up to Edward in Eclipse when he attempted to prevent her from going to La Push. In that case, she took Jacob’s feelings into consideration and refused to bend to Edward’s will. That certainly isn’t putting Edward first. Bella takes care to look after Charlie as well. She always makes sure that he has as much protection as possible when there’s a nearing crisis. Of course, they aren’t always successful in accomplish balance. In fact, many times they fail, such as when Edward put Bella before his family and opted out of helping them to fight the newborns at the end of Eclipse. But Bella is “the most important thing to [him] now— the most important thing to [him] ever,” as he said in Twilight. So I think it’s less about him being inherently selfish and more about him simply prioritizing. We can disagree with how he prioritizes, of course— and I frequently do— but I don’t think it would be fair to say he’s self-centered for it.

The bottom line is, they’re only human— even Edward. They struggle for balance, and many times they don’t succeed, but that only makes them more believable as characters. Because the average person fails at balancing their wants and others’ wants quite a bit too. And it should also be taken into account that there’s a learning curve involved here— Edward and Bella are still figuring all this out, they’ve (obviously) never been in this situation before, and so making mistakes and exhibiting poor judgment is to be expected. So, selfish? Sure. But no more, and no less, than anyone else.

2) If there was one scene you would be destroyed if the cut from the Twilight movie in its journey from book to movie, what would it be?

Definitely the Port Angeles scene, when Edward saves Bella from the gang of men. That scene produced such a vivid image in my head that I’m excited to see it put on the silver screen. Plus, it’s a pinnacle moment, of course— it reflects Edward’s weakness when it comes to Bella in terms of his inability to stay away from her, and it’s the lead-in to him confessing what he really is. I highly doubt that’ll get cut from the film, however. I can’t imagine they’d cut something that important and exciting.

Novel Novice Staff

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